7 September 2007 Alpha Biologics Sdn Bhd, the UK and Malaysian-based contract manufacturer of biologics drugs, reports that completion of its new $18 million, 5,000 sq metre manufacturing facility in Penang remains on schedule for the end of this year with customer product manufacture expected to commence during the first quarter of 2008.

The company, which has its European HQ on the Babraham Research Campus near Cambridge in the UK, also reports a significant upturn in process development business following its acquisition of CTM Biotech earlier this year and is close to finalising a further funding round with investors.

According to Alpha Biologics’ Chief Executive Simon Saxby, the upturn in process development work is being driven by a global shortage of cGMP contract manufacturing capacity for pre-clinical and clinical trial material. He also points out that the lower build and operational costs of the Penang facility enables Alpha Biologics to offer EMEA and FDA compliant cGMP contract manufacturing and process development services at significantly reduced prices compared to European or North American CMOs.

Alpha Biologics was established in 2003 with the support of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA). Other investors include Springhill Bioventures, Pequot Capital and Asiaprise Biotech.

The company’s area of specialisation is the production of mammalian cell secreted protein drugs for pre-clinical, phase 1 and phase 2 trials. It can provide all of the necessary services required to develop and produce drugs in full compliance with US and European cGMP guidelines.

Within the past few months the company has secured significant contracts with a Japanese pharma company together with a series of contracts with a Belgian-based biotech organisation. All involve process development work, the early stages of which are being undertaken by the Process Development unit in Babraham. This work will be up scaled at the Penang facility with the transfer to cGMP manufacturing being overseen by the UK and Penang based Technical Transfer team.

The Process Development unit previously traded as CTM Biotech until its acquisition by Alpha Biologics at the beginning of 2007. The takeover has been a key element of Alpha Biologics’ corporate growth and scientific development strategies: the company now offers clients a European HQ and process development facility – making it easier to participate in the process development stages of projects.

Within the next few weeks, Alpha Biologics also expects to complete a further round of financing. This follows on from its last successful funding round towards the end of last year which saw $3 million raised from Pequot Capital Management, Inc, in the US.

Following its successful acquisition of CTM this year, the company is also maintaining a close interest in additional acquisitions to further strengthen its position.

Simon Saxby comments: “We are now very close to the successful completion of the Penang facility. It is especially pleasing that this has coincided with strong interest from the market place which has led to Alpha closing some valuable contracts over the last few months, with more in the latter stages of negotiation. We are on track and confident about our ability to provide real value contract process development and cGMP compliant manufacturing services to the global pharma and biotech industries.”

NOTES TO EDITORS
About Alpha Biologics
Alpha Biologics is a contract manufacturer of biologics drugs for use in pre-clinical, Phase1 and 2 clinical trials, anywhere in the world. Established with the support of the Malaysian Government in 2003, the company’s main 5,000 sq metre manufacturing unit is based in purpose-built cGMP compliant facilities on the Penang Biotech Park in Malaysia. Its European HQ is located on the Babraham Research Campus five miles south of Cambridge in the UK.

The company specialises in the production of mammalian cell secreted protein drugs. On the completion of its Penang facility in 2007, Alpha Biologics will provide all of the necessary services required to develop and produce drugs in full compliance with U.S. and European cGMP guidelines. Alpha Biologics will be able to offer biopharma and pharma companies significant cost advantages due to the significantly lower overhead costs compared with Europe and the US, whilst maintaining the highest standards of compliance. The company’s core team, led by Chief Executive Simon Saxby, has extensive experience of designing, building and operating cGMP compliant facilities for biologic drugs in the US and Europe. This core team has been strengthened by internationally trained and experienced staff from the world-wide biologics industry and academia.

Illustrations

An artist’s impression of the completed Penang facility and a head/shoulder shot of Alpha Biologics’ Chief Executive Simon Saxby are available from O2PR